January’s Good for History

By Don Rittner

The first of January is celebrated to usher in the New Year and reflect on the good and bad of the previous year. Let’s look back at the month of January during Troy’s early days and see what transpired.

It was on January 5, 1789, that the name Troy was adopted at a meeting of property owners, changing the village name from Vanderheyden’s or Ashley’s Ferry to the mythical name of Troy. Jacob D. Vanderheyden did not approve.

However, in January 1796, Jacob D. Vanderheyden and wife Mary donated lot 231, south of the burial ground (now Barker Park) and fronting on Third Street, for the site of the First Baptist Church.

On January 31, 1797, Luther Pratt & Co. informed their old customers that they removed their printing place from Lansingburgh to Troy and commenced publishing a newspaper at their new office on Water Street (River) opposite the Ferry. The Farmer’s Oracle was Troy’s first newspaper, a weekly (every Tuesday) - price was 12 shillings per year.

On January 9, 1799, Troy was surprised by the death of one of its best and most reputable citizens, Dr. Samuel Gale, at the age of 56. He came to Troy (then Ashley’s Ferry) eleven years earlier and was associated with all of its first enterprises.

On January 1, 1800, Trojans celebrated the beginning of the new century by hanging placards with the Arabic numbers “1800” conspicuously on the fronts of stores and houses throughout the Troy village.

The following week, on January 10, 1800, a meeting was called at the house of Jeremiah Pierce for the election of several people for the creation of the “Trustees of the Troy Public Library.” The new board included Benjamin Tibbits, Christopher Hutton, John Woodworth, Jonas Coe, Aaron Lane, David Buel, and Jeremiah Osborne.

On Sunday, January 12, 1800, a number of folks formed a funeral procession and walked to the meetinghouse where the Rev. Jonas Coe delivered a sermon honoring the passing of George Washington the month before.

On Monday, January 16, 1804, the incorporation of “Trustees of St Paul’s Church in Troy” was completed after a meeting held in the Court House. Before this, several Episcopalian families met in the courthouse on Sundays and had mass held by visiting clergy. (Try doing that today!)

Perhaps the first book published in Troy went to press on January 14, 1806. It was believed to be the first American edition of Hudibras, a poem written between 1660 and 1680 as a satire on the Cromwellians and the Presbyterian Church, and was written by Anglican Samuel Butler. Published by Wright, Goodenow, and Stockwell.

On January 5, 1813, a detachment of two companies of Troy’s volunteer militia, the Fusileers and Invincibles, returned to Troy with British colors that they had captured at St. Regis on October 23rd the previous year.

On January 11, 1814, Trojans passed a resolution opposing the erection of a toll bridge across the Hudson by Albany. For the next 50 years the two cities fought to have the first bridge built. Troy eventually got a railroad bridge, now the Green Island Bridge.

On January 30, 1816, the Troy village inhabitants voted to raise $5000 to establish a Lancastrian School (established by Quaker Joseph Lancaster) and another $2000 to build the school on the northwest corner of State and 7th streets (where the county dept. of health sits today).

The Rensselaer School (now RPI), founded by Amos Eaton and Stephen Van Rensselaer, began its first term on the first Monday of January 1825 in the old Farmer’s Bank on the corner of Middleburgh and River Streets. The first term lasted 15 weeks at a price of $25, or $5 for an evening class. If you wanted room and board it was another $1.75 to $2.

On January 17, 1840, the Liberty Street Presbyterian Church was formed for the city’s black population on the north side of Liberty Street. The church had, as original members, such notables as Nathan S. Beman (Beman Park named for him), Rev. Fayette Shipard (early abolitionist), and the Rev. Henry H. Garnett as pastor (a major African American rights activist).

On Sunday night January 1, 1837, tragedy struck as a great landslide occurred on Mt. Ida with a heavy wall of clay falling as far west as the corner of Washington and 4th Streets. It killed 4 people (2 kids) and 16 horses.

Legendary iron magnate Henry Burden, age 80, died on January 18, 1871.

Finally, today, 179 years ago, the Troy Review or Religious and Musical Repository was first published. It was Troy’s 8th newspaper.

Let’s hope this January brings all of you good fortune and a healthy year.